Behind the Trash Cans
by Lady FoxFire
Summary: While taking out the trash, a business man discover something unexpected behind the trash cans
1. Behind the Trash Cans

Disclaimer: You know discalimers are actual hard to write. It's more than just saying you don't own the characters in this fic (unless they are your creation) and you don't make any money from writing it. People exept something to make them smirk in the disclaimer, something that makes them shake their head in disbelieve. Oh well, what can I say... but I don't own the Harry Potter series and I don't make any money from this fic.

Bad Author's Notes: A long time ago I started this fic with a friend who used the pen name of Relle but due to problem Relle could no longer work on the fic. She has given me full control and right of the fic to me, therefore I am re-posting the fic under my name.

**Behind the Trash Can**

by Lady FoxFire

July 17, 2004

Officer Sean O'Connell strolled briskly down the quiet street, whistling cheerfully, as the small stores that lined both sides of the winding road began to close for the night. His shinny, highly polished shoes scuffed against the dusty pavement as he precariously wound his way around the puddles left from the April showers earlier that afternoon.

"Oi! Officer O'Connell, can you come here for a wee bit?" One of the shopkeepers shouted from across the street at him.

Glancing around, Officer O'Connell saw the short, slightly plump form of Joe, the owner of the Laughing Wizard—the most popular joke store in the area—waving at him madly.

With his brow furrowed slightly, he strode across the cobbled street, wondering what on earth was the matter. Straightening his cap, Sean sped up a little bit.

"What's a matter, Joe?" O'Connell asked, as he reached the old, amiable man.

"I... Well..." Joe said, running a wrinkled, work worn hand across his affable face. "Just come inside and see," he continued, stroking his dark bushy mustache before shuffling quickly into his store without beckoning the officer to follow.

Sean's frown deepened in concern and confusion as his eyebrows knitted together—he had never seen this normally jovial old man so upset before. Still perplexed at Joe's sudden change of character, Sean wearily accompanied the old shopkeeper inside.

Threading his way past piles of whoopee cushions, rows of fake vomit and an entire aisle devoted to rubber chickens, Joe slowly led Sean towards the back of his store.

The old shopkeeper paused in front of his office, resting a worn hand on the brass doorknob with a sigh. "In all my years in Edinburgh, I never expected to see this," he uttered softly, swinging the door open as he spoke.

They entered the office—a small yet comfortably furnished room. A large cluttered desk sat in the darkest corner, overflowing with mounds of paper and boxes. The metal cabinet stood beside this, brimming with more stacks of paper and a few of the newest pranks that had not been shelved yet. A few wooden chairs, littered with files, sat in front of the desk, beside a wilted houseplant desperately in need of water.

A small child sat quietly huddled in the middle of a small pool of water between the desk and cabinet, soaking wet due to the rain. The dripping water didn't seem to bother him, though, as the boy sat there perfectly still, staring off into space. Sean made his way around the desk to get a clearer view, and to his surprise saw a few bruises marking the boy's face, even as his black mop-top blocked them, almost, from view.

"I found him behind some bins earlier while I was chucking the litter out." Joe whispered as they stared at the small, seemingly catatonic child.

Sean nodded in understanding as he knelt down and peered into the child's eyes. "Hello there," he began. "Are you lost? Where are your mummy and daddy?" he asked kindly, not wanting to startle the poor boy.

Finally noticing the two men before him, the boy's emerald eyes widened as he took in O'Connell's uniform, his badge and the baton he carried on his belt. Suddenly he scrabbled back away from the two men even after his back was pressed firmly against the wall. "I'll be good. I'll be good. Please…" he whispered desperately to himself as he closed his eyes and slowly started to rock himself back and forth, drawing his arms around his knees.

Joe and Sean shared a look of concern and suppressed anger as they realized what was going on. "Damn parents, trying to scare their children into behaving by telling them that they'll be put into jail if they don't behave." Joe cursed softly, as he watched the child before them with sympathy.

Straightening up, Sean started to take off his uniform and belt. "Don't be afraid. Look, I'm not a policeman any more," he voiced gently a kind smile on his face. The smile widened as he saw the boy cautiously open his eyes from behind the parted fingers hiding his face. "My name is Sean. what's yours?"

"Boy, sir." the child whispered, peering at both men carefully.

Joe and Sean shared a confused glance. Frowning, Sean took a step closer and slowly sat down. "What did your mummy and daddy call you?"

The child blinked a couple of times as he thought. "Mummy and Daddy dead," the boy answered hastily. "Unc... Uncle Vern... they call me boy."


	2. Green Eyes

Disclaimer: If you've never heard of the character before than I own them, if you have heard of them then I don't own them. I don't make any money from this fic either if I did I won't be struggling for money and I could write more

Bad Author's Notes: I rewrote a lot of this chapter... Okay I rewrote a lot of the beginning of the chapter but I was able to double the length of the chapter.

OK for those of you who are not in the know, FF canned first posting of this fic under my name back in January. I lost 317 reviews because some !# complained about it. So I am posting it once agin.

Even in the darkest of days there is still light.

Green Eyes

By Lady FoxFire

July 7, 2002

Revised: October 10, 2004

"So after I removed my uniform, Joe and I were able to coach the child out from between the desk and cabinet," Sean explained as he walked towards the kitchen table, cupping a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. "You should have seen him, Mary. He looked like a half-drowned kitten that needed more than a few good meals in him." He sat down with a sigh at the table and glanced at his wife.

"So were you able to find his parents?" a woman with shoulder length black hair asked. "I imagine they must be frantic with worry."

Sean shook his head. "There are none. The boy said that his parents are dead—they died in a car accident. I couldn't find any record of his guardians." Sean gripped his hands around the steaming cup. "Campbell's checking the wire for any missing or kidnapped children that match his description, but I honestly doubt he'll find anything," He said before taking a drink of the steaming liquid.

"You think that he was abandoned?" Mary asked in surprised, cocking her head to the side as she gazed at her husband.

"Yeah," Sean replied softly, his eyes gaining a glazed, far-off expression. With a snort, he continued to his account. "When I asked the kid what his name was, he told me it was 'boy.' The people who raised him called him 'boy.'"

"'Boy'?" Mary's brow furrowed in confusion, her brown eyes darkening. "Do you think they threatened him into not telling anyone his name? They probably figured that if the police don't know who he is, then they can't find them."

"Possible," Sean mused with a boneless shrug. "At least that's what the Captain thinks. I think he doesn't know his name, if he even had one."

"Doesn't know his name?" Mary shook her head in confusion, leaning on the table. "Do you mean he has amnesia?"

"No," Sean said more to himself than to Mary. "No. I don't think its amnesia. I think that whoever raised him never gave him a name. If his parents had given him one, then his guardians after their death never used it."

"That doesn't make sense," Mary sputtered, straightening out of her slump. "How could you not use someone's name?"

"What about Thomas?" Sean asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"What did I tell you about that!" Mary snapped at her husband as she banged her cup on the table. "I told you never to... Oh! Oh! So you're saying that they hated the kid so much that they refused to use his name?"

Sean nodded his head sadly, and the mischievous glint in his eyes dimmed.

"But why?" Mary said in distress. "Why would they hate a child so much that they refuse his name? How could they do that to a child?"

"I don't know Mary, but as soon as we find them, I plan to ask them exactly that," Sean said with grim determination as he clenched his jaw.

After a moment's silence, Mary asked, "Do you think you'll find them?"

"Eventually." Sean stated with complete confidence. "It's only a matter of time before we get a lead, and then they'll be facing some serious prison time for what they've done."

Mary rose to her feet and quietly walked past her husband towards the kitchen, refilling her coffee mug. As she walked back to the table, she reached out and gave Sean a gentle squeeze on his shoulder.

Grabbing her hand before she could pull it back, Sean looked up at her. "Have I told you that I love you today?"

A slight blush came to her cheeks. "Only twenty or so times," Mary replies.

"Is that all?" Sean gasped in mock distress. "I should be drawn and quartered for negating my duties so shamefully!" He pulled Mary's hand towards his lips and gently kissed the back of her hand. "Can you forgive me, oh loveliest of all women?"

Escaping his grasp, Mary sat down, a smug look on her face. "Perhaps. Perhaps I'll give you a chance to beg for forgiveness later," Mary said with a coy smile on her face. "But first I want to hear what happen to your drowned little kitten."

"Half-drowned, my love, half-drowned." Sean corrected with a smile that promised many unnamed things. "Not much happened. I took the child down to the station. Of course, as soon as I stepped into the station, the captain brought down the wrath of the gods upon me for being out of uniform. He gave the usual speech about taking pride in the uniform and how I represent the law when I'm patrolling. That was until he spied my little kitten clinging to my leg. He then put two and two together..."

Mary snorted. "And of course he immediately started in on his usual speech about the stupidity of parents. About how they teach their children to fear the police and then are mystified about why their little angels won't go to the police when they're lost or in trouble."

"You should be a detective," Sean chuckled. "At that time, the child asked if we were going to throw him into a pit with monsters because he had been a bad boy, disobeying his aunt and had moving from where he was told to stay."

"You mean behind the garbage bins?" Mary asked in slight confusion.

Sean nodded his head. "It turns out the people who raised him filled his head with the idea that policemen put bad people in deep holes with monsters. They also told him that he was a bad person and it was only through their goodness that the police hadn't thrown him into the hole. Yet."

Mary gasped in surprise. "I can't believe anyone would tell a child such a thing."

Sean shrugged his shoulders. "When it comes to the lies parents tell their children, nothing really surprises me anymore."

Taking a sip of his coffee, Sean continued on. "After we convinced the boy that we weren't going to feed him to monsters, the captain had Campbell search the wire for any reports about a missing or kidnapped child matching the boy. He had me take the boy to Doctor McMaster for a check up and to deliver him to Saint Brigit."

"What did the doctor have to say?" Mary asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

Sean looked down at his coffee cup. "McMaster said that the he showed all the signs of being malnourished. Because of that, we can't be sure about the kid's age. McMaster's thinking the boy might be three or four, possibly even five, but he can't be sure."

"You're not telling me something," Mary said her eyes narrowing, her voice growing hard.

Sean's head jerked up suddenly his eyes wide with surprise. "What? How?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest. "You always talk to your coffee cup when you're trying to hide something from me. Now what is it?"

Sighing Sean allowed his shoulders to slump in defeat. "Mary... I..."

"You can't tell me?" Mary said as Sean looked back down at his coffee cup once again. "Police business?" Mary pressed on. "Something to do with your little kitten?"

Sean nodded his head.

"Then don't tell me." Mary said lovely as she reached out and took Sean's hand in hers. "If you can't talk to me about something then tell me you can't. Just don't try and hide it from me, Sean. That's' all I ask."

Before Sean could say anything the shrill ringing of the phone interrupted any further conversation. Giving her husband pat on the shoulder as Mary walked past him and answered the phone. "Hello? Oh hi, Alice." Sean's ears pricked at the sound of the familiar name. "How is everything? Hmmm, yeah… Ok that won't be a problem... Say around ten…. That's fine. See you then."

Mary turned and saw Sean's curious expression as she hung up the phone. "Alice wants us to stop by around ten o'clock today. It seems that your little kitten is having problems."

A few minutes before ten, Mary and Sean were greeted by the sound of laughing happy children as they pulled into the visitor parking spot of the St Brigit Orphanage behind Hollyrood Park.

"You love this place." Mary stated amusedly, seeing the huge grin on her husband's face as he climbed out of the car.

Sean nodded his head. "It's coming home. Some of the best years on my life were spent within these walls." He explained, taking Mary's arm in his and walking her to the door. "Alice and I would play pranks on the other children and teachers all the time. Nothing dangerous of course—it was just silly things."

"So that's where you get that warped sense of humor." Mary replied with a smirk on her face.

"I do not have a warped sense of humor." Sean countered with a pout on his face before it turned mischievous. "It's twisted. Alice has the warped sense of humor." He continued as he bowed his bride into his childhood home.

"Ah!" Mary said in growing comprehension. "That explains everything. Was she the one who decided that it would be funny to put frogs into the punch bowl at Tina's wedding reception?"

"Ah... no," Sean replied looking at anywhere but at his wife. "But remember they weren't really frogs."

"And of course, you figured that since Tina found the one true frog prince, you just _had_ to invite his relatives," Mary said with a roll of her eyes.

"But of course, my fair maiden," Sean said as he held the door open for his wife, bowing her in the building.

"Can I help you?" a young girl no more than seventeen asked from behind the receptionist desk.

"A little old to be playing secretary aren't you?" Sean drawled in a serious voice, his teasing nature betrayed only by the smirk on his face and the twinkle in his eyes.

"Miss Elizabeth had the day off. I'm covering for her." The young lady retorted disapprovingly as she glared over her glasses at him.

Mary chuckled softly. "Mary and Sean O'Connell to see Alice O'Brien, please."

The young lady's eyes widened at the names. "Sean O'Connell? The Sean O'Connell!" The girl squealed in delight. "Is it true that you once put a laxative into the cookies of old Lady O ' Donnell?"

Sean face turned red at the memory. "Ah, well that was Alice's idea…."

"Don't you believe him, Nancy. That man was born with a silver tongue in his mouth. And a forked one at that." A blond haired, blue-eyed woman countered sardonically after having snuck up behind him.

"Yessssss. I do." Sean hissed at her as his flicked his tongue playfully in her direction.

Mary glared at her husband, her arms crossed over her chest. "Grow up, Sean."

Sean turned to his wife, his bottom lip sticking out as he pouted. "But she started it."

"Did not." Alice replied automatically, her hands on her hips.

"Did to." Sean countered crossing his arms over his chest, jetting his jaw out.

"Did not."

"Did."

"Not."

"Did."

"Not."

"Not."

"Did."

"Ha!" Sean exclaimed in glee as he grinned toothily in triumph. "See, I told you she did do it."

Alice snorted at her defeat as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Sean as he did a jig in the entryway of the orphanage. "Is that how you trick thieves into confessing?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sean winked, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I'll never tell," He replied in a singsong voice.

"You two are hopeless." Mary exclaimed as she threw her hands up in frustration, as the young lady tried in vain to hide her laughter.

"Really now, and here I thought we were incorrigible." Alice muttered with a twinkle in her eyes as she baited Mary.

"How about juvenile," Mary countered

"No, more like headstrong."

"Depraved?"

Alice tapped her chin in though. "Perhaps. But what would that say about you? After all, you did marry him."

"That I'm saintly," Mary said in a holier than thou voice while her eyes betrayed her devilry. "That I'm trying rehabilitate a poor retched soul."

"You, saintly?" Alice exclaimed. "If I remember right, you were the one who filled Headmistress Smith's office with..."

Sean watched in pleasure as the two women of his life argued playfully back and forth when he suddenly felt a small hand slip into his.

"Hello, there," Sean whispered softly as he knelt down next to the small boy he found yesterday. "Did you miss me?"

The green-eyed boy slowly nodded his head in silence as he kept his eyes on the ladies.

"Don't worry. They won't harm you," Sean assured the young boy when he noticed the green eyed child watching the ladies warily. Scooping the thin child into his arms, Sean stood up. "The funny lady with the black hair is my wife, Mary, and the loud one is my unofficially adopted sister, Alice the Menace."

Seeing the abandoned child in Sean arms, the ladies stopped their playful banter. "Hello, dear. I'm Mary," Sean's wife announced as she came closer.

The boy looked at Mary, his piercing eyes judging her, and found her worthy. A small smile lit up his face. "Hello," He replied shyly before burying his face in the crook of Sean's neck.


	3. That's Disgusting

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it and I don't make any money off of this fic. But how I wish I did.

Bad Author's Notes: This was the last chapter that Relle and I worked on together. The next chapter will be all mine.

I was able to extend this chapter by 3 whole pages. Also my mind has been a little sick recently so try to locate the two-movie reference I used in the fic. The first one is a quote from a movie and if you follow my writing you should be able to pick it up right away. The second one will be a bit harder to pick out. I will tell you it's from a cartoon that almost everyone has seen. Good luck.

Last warning: Do NOT eat or drink anything while reading this fic. I would hate for you to choke to dead.

**That's Just Wrong**

**b**y Lady FoxFire and Relle

August 29, 2003

Revised: October 31, 2004

Four Years Later

"Harold Sirius O'Connell! If you're not at this table by the count of ten, you are not going fishing with your father today!" Mary yelled up the stairs for her son before walking back to the kitchen.

The shout of 'Coming, mum!' could be heard echoing through the house.

"I swear, he's gets more and more like you everyday," Mary mumbled exasperatedly at her husband.

"What, you mean more attractive, sweet, and devilishly charming?" Sean asked playfully as he wrapped his arms around her.

"No. He's driving me _crazy_," she replied with a smirk as she slipped out of his arms and flicked on the TV.

"… The public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous." The report droned on as a picture of a gaunt face with shoulder-length black hair appeared next to the reporter. "A special hot-line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."

"Dad?" Harry said as he looked up at his father with dread in his eyes after the report ended. "Will you have to go into the office today?"

"No. That's down in London and has nothing to do with us," Sean explained as he ruffled his son's messy black hair. "So what else do you want to do on your birthday, besides fishing? It's not every day you turn seven."

* * *

A navy blue BMW rolled to a stop in the driveway of a large, square, but unremarkable house on Privet Drive. Out of the car steps a large stocky man, who undoubltly was a rugby player in his young. Unfortunately, the muscles he once possessed had slowly been replaced with flab with years of deskwork.

Whistling to himself in a cheery manner, Vernon Dursley started up the path to the house, briefcase in hand. At the front door, he set down his briefcase, straightened his tie and ran a flipper-like hand through his thinning brown hair before opening the door and striding in.

Throughout his daily ritual, Dursley never noticed the pair of piercing, iron-grey eyes that followed his every move. In the neatly trimmed brushes that separate the yards, a huge, black hound hunched in the shadows.

As the front door of Number Four Privet Drive swung shut, the dog climbed to his feet and trotted towards the entrance. Lying down in the shadows of the hydrangea bushes that flanked the door, the dog pressed an ear to the door to listen for sounds from within the house.

"Dudley? Where are you?" A voice that could only be the elder Dursley could be heard bellowing through the open window above the bushes.

"He's spending the weekend with the Piers," the high pitch nasal whine of Petunia replied.

"Really?" Vernon exclaimed in surprise. "You mean we have the house to ourselves?"

The dog cocked his head to the side as it waited for Petunia's answer, which was not forthcoming.

"Excellent!" Vernon exclaimed in a lustful voice before a feminine squeal echoed through the house and the sound of the couple running up the stairs filled the air.

Leaving the safety of the bushes, the black hound slowly padded around to the back of the house, its head hung low as it sniffed at the ground.

In the back, the dog quickly searched the garden before walking to back the house. With a pop sounding like a champagne bottle opening, the dog vanished, and in its place stood a tall, thin man with an austere face and black, shoulder-length hair.

Anyone who watched the telly recently would have recognized instantly Sirius Black, the famed mass murderer and escaped convict.

With a quick glance at the neighboring houses, Black quickly approached the back door and tried the handle, which turned easily in his hand. Slipping inside, he pulled the door shut behind him, sliding the deadbolt closed.

Black silently made his way through the lower level of the house, checking each room for signs of life in the house and shutting any window he found open.

Black stopped as the noise of the couple upstairs grew louder.

"Ohhhh! Just like that, my hulking piece of love cheese," cooed a woman's voice who was undoubtable was Petunia Dursley.

'Hulking piece of love cheese?' Sirius mouthed in silence as he shook his head in bewilderment.

The squeaking of bedsprings grew louder.

"Yeah! Yeah! Who's your fuck bunny!" Vernon cried out as Sirius threw the lock on the front door downstairs.

"You are! You are!" Petunia screamed.

The squeaks of the stairs were masked by the sounds emanating from the master bedroom as Black slowly made his way up the stairs.

"Oh, yes! Just like that! Oh! More! More!"

Silently Black turned the doorknob and pushed open the bedroom door.

The sight that greeted him stopped the escaped convict in his tracks. On the bed was the pasty white, flabby body of Vernon Dursley as he pleasured his wife and on top of his head was a pair of pink rabbit ears.

"Thump me, bunny! Thump me!" Petunia moaned somewhere underneath mass of blubber that was her husband.

"That's just...that's just wrong," Sirius muttered, looking a tad bit ill.

"What?" Vernon said in confusion as he turned to look over his shoulder. His eyes bulged to cartoon-like proportion as he saw what could only be a homeless bum standing in the bedroom doorway.

Vernon quickly rolled off the bed and stood only in his stockings as he faced the intruder.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" Vernon said as he tried in vain to appear menacing as he ripped off the rabbit ears.

Sirius's mouth opened. And closed. And opened again. And shut again. All without a sound coming out as he was confronted with Vernon Dursley clothed in only a pair of black socks and a set of crushed rabbit ears in his hands.

"At least cover up!" Black was finally able to chock out.

Vernon blinked in confusion as mind tried to process what the stranger had said before he realized that he was currently at a clothing disadvantage. Dropping the rabbit ears Vernon made a desperate grasp for the blanket petunia was using to protect her modesty.

"Give me those blankets," Vernon growled as tried to wrench the blankets away from Petunia.

"No," Petunia squealed like a two-year-old child has a tantrum.

"Give me them!" Vernon said as fought with his wife for a blanket in an attempt to cover up what little he could.

The house echoed with squeals and grunts as the Dursleys fought for the blankets, trying to cover up their bodies.

Sirius stood in the doorway, tapping his foot, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited impatiently.

With a cry of triumph, Vernon was finally able to wrestle the blankets away from Petunia and wrap them around himself, while Petunia resorted to hugging a pillow to her torso.

"Who are you? How dare you enter my house!" Vernon shouted once again.

"Vernon," Petunia gasped in fright as her eyes widened in recognition, "he's one of them."

"One of them?" Vernon said in confusion as he took his eyes off the intruder for a moment to glance at his wife.

Petunia nodded her head; "He's a friend of Lily. I remember him."

Sirius's brown eyes turned back to Petunia. "Hello, Petunia. It's been a long time."

Mrs. Dursley swallowed nervously; her eyes wide with fear as she clutch the pillow tighter to her. "You... You were one of James' friends, weren't you?"

Sirius nodded his head. "My name is Sirius Black."

"Black!" Vernon's voice broke as he squeaked. "The murderer?"

Sirius turned his attention back to Vernon and smiled, which caused Vernon to tremble in fear. His grip on the blanket loosened as it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"What do you want?" asked Petunia as she found her courage and held her head up high.

"_Where is he_?" Sirius said, stressing each word.

"Where's who?" Petunia countered nervously as she lost her nerve and started to back away from him until she was pressed against the headboard.

"My godson." Sirius growled as he advanced into the room. "Where is Harry?"

The Dursleys paled as the blood rushed from their faces. "He ran away." "Some wizards took him years ago." The couple answered at the same time.

Sirius's eyebrow raised at their confusing statements. "Where is Harry?" He growled in a deep threating tone.

"It's all his fault." Petunia squeaked as she pointed at her husband.

"It is not." Vernon snapped as he turned on his wife. "You were the one who didn't want the little bastard. You wouldn't even let me_ drown_ the runt."

"**WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY GODSON?**" Sirius bellowed as he glared venomously at the couple.

"Vernon dumped him in Scotland." Petunia answered quickly, trying to place blame on her husband.

"You're the one who told the child not to move from the alley." Vernon growled as he turned on his wife. "You're the one who made us drive to Edinburgh so that the little brat couldn't be traced back to us."

"You abandoned my godson in Edinburgh?" Sirius asked in a deadly voice as he stared in disbelief at the couple. "You abandoned Lily and James only son, your own flesh and blood!"

"He's not _my _flesh and blood," Vernon retorted as he puffed out his chest haughtily, looking down at the convict in his house. "I never asked for nor wanted that freak in **my** house. I would have done the world a favor if I _had _drowned the bastard!"

"Wrong answer," Sirius said in a deadly calm tone as he shut the bedroom door behind him.


	4. Hanging Around

Disclaimer: See that cute little boy with black hair and green eyes? He's kind of mine and kind of not mine too. See that big black dog? He's not mine but I wish he was. See all that money made on the series of story this story is based on? None of it is mine. Bummer.

Bad Author Notes: Battle screaming Money Demons and Depression Demons made this chapter the hardest to write in a long time. And now that the holidays are behind us and US income tax season is coming around the corner. I am actual able to relax enough to write and edit.

**Hanging Around**

By Lady FoxFire

December 31, 2004

* * *

"They're just weird," a blond boy sporting a buzz cut stated as he climbed up the bars of the jungle gym at Leith Primary School. "All they do is giggle and play with dolls."

"My dad says they improve with age, whatever that means," a dark skinned boy said as he swung from ring to ring on the monkey bars. "I don't see how they could improve. My sister is a brat and she will always be a brat."

"Maybe when they get older they start liking boy things, Alex," a dark haired boy suggested as he hung upside down by his knees. "Maybe they start to like things like frogs, crabs and robots. I know my mum does. She thinks they're cool. She doesn't even have a problem putting a worm in the hook when we going fishing."

Alex snorted. "Your mum is different, Harry," he said. "My mum won't even touch a worm. She thinks they're gross and disgusting. She even makes my dad kill any spiders she finds."

"Alex is right, Harry. Your mum is different from other mums. Your mum doesn't even mind if you get dirty," the blond boy suddenly spoke. "My cousin, Melissa, hates getting dirty. One day while she was following me and crossed a creek by jumping from stone to stone, well she fell in and go all wet. Of course she ran home screaming, saying I pushed her in. Got punished for it too, and I didn't even do it. If she doesn't get her way, she starts to cry about it until they give in. She's such a whiny baby"

"I am not a whiny baby," a girl with blond pig tails order. "You take that back, Joseph." The girl stomped her foot in anger, her eyes narrowing and her lips pouting out. "You stop telling lies about me."

"I am not lying. And you **are** a whiny baby," Joseph said in a mocking tone. "Melissa's a whiny baby. Melissa's a whiny baby."

"No I'm not," Melissa shouted at her cousin, stomping her foot once again. "You take that back or else!"

"Or else what?" Joseph asks as he looked down at his cousin from high up on the jungle gym. "You'll go back crying to your mummy?" Joseph mocked her by rubbing his eyes with his fists as if he was crying.

"I'll... I'll..." Melissa stammered as she tried to figure out what to do without proving her cousin right. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her lips cracked into a mischievous grin. "I'll tell Heather McLoud that you like her."

"I DO NOT!" Joseph shouted. "That's a lie! I don't like Heather. She's bossy and she... she smells funny too."

Melissa stuck her tongue out at the boys as she turned and ran off towards a group of girls on the far end of the playground. "I'm going to tell. I'm going to tell."

"Stop right there, Melissa," Joseph shouted as he jumping from the jungle gym and ran off after his cousin.

"He's mental, " Alex said as he let go to the monkey bars and fell to the ground.

Harry snorted, "You just figured that out?" he said as he watched Joseph chase after his cousin as he hung upside down

Alex stuck his tongue out at Harry.

"Harry, I got a question for you," Alex said as he bent down and tied his shoelace.

"Yeah?" Harry replied as he twisted so that he could get a better look at Alex.

"Why do you always hang upside down?" Alex asked as he finished his shoe and started to climb the monkey bars once again.

"I don't know. I just do," Harry replied with awkward shrug. "Why do you always play on the monkey bars?"

"'Cause they're fun. And because my dad says I'll get muscles like his if I keep doing it," Alex explained as he swung from ring to ring without a pause.

"Alex!" a tall, stately woman called from gate next to one of the teachers.

"My mum's here, Harry" Alex said as he grabbed his book bag. "See you on Monday! " he yelled back to his friend as he ran off towards hi mother.

Hanging upside down, Harry watch as one by one parents arrived and left with their children in tow.

"Do you know what the boy bat said to the girl bat?" an older voice said from next to Harry.

Harry turned and looked over at the voice. There hanging upside down by his knees was his father, Sean O'Connell, the top of his head barely missing the ground as he hung from the highest bar.

Harry's face split into a grin, his green eyes spark with mischief. "I don't know, what did the boy bat say to the girl bat?" he replied his amusement clearly evident in his voice.

Sean's face mirrored that of his son. "Hang around here often?"

Harry closed his eyes in dismay and groaned at the joke before he swung himself so that he could right himself and drop to the ground.

"It wasn't that bad," Sean said as he did the mirroring his son's actions.

"Yes it was," Harry replied as he grabbed his book bag. "It was almost as bad as the zebra joke."

"That's a great joke," Sean said in outrage as he tried to defend his jokes before he allowed his face to morph into a pout. "Your mother laughed at it," he added as he kicked a small rock with the toe of his shoes.

Harry snorted. "If I remember, you were tickling her at the time," Harry commented cooly.

Sean crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Harry for his comments.

Harry shook his head at his father's antics. "So why were you late?" Harry asked, his head down as he tried to hide the fear of abandonment from his dad. "Alex already left, and normally his mum doesn't come till after we've left.

"Sorry about that, kitten," Sean apologized as he ruffled Harry's hair, pulling him closer to give him a one-arm hug. "I would have been on time, but there was a problem at work, and they need my help."

"A problem?" Harry jerked his head up to look at his father, his eyes widening slightly with worry as he pulled away from the man so that he could give his father a quick look over.

Sean looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching them or listening in. Seeing that no one heard what he said, Sean leaned down and whispered into Harry's ear. "Houdini escaped again."

Harry's shoulders slumped in relief as he hit his father lightly on the shoulder for worrying him. "Whoever named the station cat after the most famous escape artist in the world was asking for trouble."

A guilty look came upon Sean's face. "Can't disagree with that," he said bashfully as he signed Harry out of school. "So how was school today? Anything interesting happen?"

"Mary Jane came back today," Harry explained. "She has to wear a wig now."

Sean blinked at Harry's statement. "Why does she have to wear a wig?"

Harry looked up at his father with a look that said 'I can't believe you don't remember.'

Taking in his son's look, Sean shrugs his shoulders in amusement. "You know what your mum says."

"Swiss cheese for brains," Harry sighed. "Last week, Mary Jane's hair turned green suddenly. Bright lime green. Her mom tried to dye it back to its original color but it turned a ugly orange instead."

"Oh, I remember now," Sean said, "she was the one who was teasing you and the others."

Harry nodded his head. "She called Alex a bad word 'cause he's black, and she teased Sally because she has a problem talking."

"She sounds like a bad little girl," Sean said. "Did anyone figure out what made her hair green?"

Harry shook his head. "No. But she says it's my fault."

Sean stopped in mid-step and looked at Harry. "Your fault?" Sean exclaimed. "How could it be your fault?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

* * *

The two O'Connells continued to talk and to tease one another as they walked down the road towards their home, never noticing a dark shadow detach itself from between the school face and a line of scrubs, tailing their every move.

* * *

Officer Sean O'Connell pulled the collar of his jacket together as he tried in vain to block the cold November wind that was blowing through all of his clothing.

"I'm not getting out of bed tomorrow," Sean grumbled to himself as he wiped his red, sore looking nose with the back of his hand, "even if Her Majesty herself is at my door."

At that minute a cold rain began to fall.

Sean looked up at the turbulent and tempest clouds before closing his eyes wearily. "Can this day get any better," he sighed as pulled his hat down around his ears.

Sean continued on his patrol, being careful as he walked on the rain-slick, cobble stoned road.

Less then a block behind him, a huge black dog with matted fur and ribs stuck out in hunger stepped from the alley it had been hiding in. The dog's untrimmed nails clicked softly against the stone road as it trotted after the officer.

* * *

"Now, who can tell me what the answer is to number seven?" the petite teacher asked her Primary Three class as she pointed to a math problem on the blackboard.

Immediately, a sea of waving hands appeared above the heads of her students.

"Matthew?" she said as her eyes rested on the cubby blond boy on the far side of the room who had raised his hand tentatively.

Matthew lowered his hand in dread as his fellow classmates turned towards him waiting for his answer. Matthew licked his lips nervously. "Umm... Thirteen, Miss Carnahan," he said.

"Very good, Matthew. Annabelle, take the pencil out of your mouth," Miss Carnahan ordered the young girl in front of Matthew before turning her attention back to the class. "Now, who knows the answer to number eight?"

Miss Carnahan looked out at the sea of hands once again. "Harry?"

Harry sat ramrod straight in his chair with eyebrows scrunched and eyes clenched shut, his knuckles white as his fingers tightly grasped the sides of his desk.

"Harry?" Miss Carnahan made her way over to her normally lively student and knelt down so that she was eye to eye. "Is something wrong, Harry? Are you not well?"

Harry shook his head slowly, slumping so low in his seat that his head barely rose above the edge of the desk.

"What is it?" Miss Carnahan asked, placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulders. "Is your tummy upset?"

"Something bad happened," Harry whispered as a tear escaping his tightly closed eyes.

"Something bad?" Miss Carnahan asked as she reached out and gently brushed a straight out hair out of Harry's face. "What is it, Harry? What is bad?"

"Don't know," Harry said his voice breaking up as he fought not to cry. "But it's bad."

Miss Carnahan opened her mouth to ask Harry more but she was stopped by a knock on the door.

Standing in the doorway was Miss Potter, The Headmistress of Leith Primary School.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Miss Carnahan, but could I have a moment of your time?" the Headmistress asked sternly, her face pinched as she looked over the students.

Miss Carnahan nodded before turning back to Harry. "I'll be right back, Harry," she said. "Perhaps you might want to put your head down for a moment." Straightening out of her crouch, Miss Carnahan looked at the faces of her students. "As for the rest of you, I want to you work on the rest of the problems on the board. I expect you to be able to answer them when I return."

As soon as Miss Carnahan stepped out of the room, the students immediately started to whisper among themselves.

"Harry," the student who sat behind Harry whispered, poking Harry in the back.

Harry turned in his seat just enough to look at the other boy

"Are you all right?" Alex asked in a loud whisper as he took in Harry's pale complexion and glazed eyes. "Sick?"

Harry shook his head. "Something bad has happened, Alex," Harry said in a lifeless tone. "Something very bad."

"Harry," Miss Carnahan called as she stepped back into the room, the Headmistress at her heels. "You need to gather you things and go with the Headmistress."

"I was right wasn't I? Something bad happened, didn't it? Something happen to my dad," Harry babbled as he grasped his desk as if his life depended on it.

The entire room was silent as they waited for their teacher to answer him.

Miss Potter looked at Miss Carnahan. Miss Carnahan looked at Miss Potter. Then they both looked at Harry.

"Is he going to be alright?" Harry asked his voice raising as he began to panic, when they did not immediately answer him.

Miss Potter stepped forward and gathered Harry in her arms. "I don't know, child. I don't know."

* * *

Post Author Notes: Before you start asking... No Headmistress Potter is NOT related to Harry Potter in any way with the exception that they shared the same last name. I just felt that there should be at least one Potter in this entire fic. 


	5. Waiting Room

Disclaimer: I don't make any money off of this fanfic. Actually, this is all practice for me for when I get off my butt and finish my original fic, which I hope, will be published (once I figure out the main plot). So I can only hope that Rowling will forgive me while I borrow her characters.

Bad Author Notes: I have a very serious question for all of you but I can't asked right now without spoiling the chapter so please read my author's notes at the end of the chapter.

Waiting Room

by Lady FoxFire

September 10, 2005

The soft murmur of the hospital filtered into the private waiting room, where Mary O'Connell sat with her son, waiting to hear any news about her husband.

With a soft smile, Mary looked down at her son, who was asleep with his head in her lap. Gently, she ran her fingers through the boy's black hair over and over again.

Mary raised her head when the noises of the hospital suddenly charged into the private waiting room.

Pushing the door open with her butt was Alice, and in her hands where two steaming cups of coffee and a white paper bag hanging from her teeth.

Alice handed Mary a cup of coffee and then took the bag from her mouth. "Have you heard anything?" Alice asked as she sat down in a chair next to Mary.

"Nothing yet." Mary sighed before taking a sip of her coffee and making a face of disgust. "God, this is awful," she said as she stared at her coffee.

Alice chuckled softly as she pulled a powder donut from the paper bag. "What did you expect? It's hospital coffee," Alice commented as she passed the bag to Mary. Taking a sip of her coffee, Alice made a face of loathing at the taste. "The only thing worse than hospital coffee is the coffee at the station."

"I thought you knew, police don't drink coffee, they drink paint remover," Mary joked, licking the powdered sugar from her lips.

"I always wondered what Sean's special paint remover formula was," Alice said around a mouthful of donut.

Mary smirked. "It's also a great rust remover." Mary sighed wearily as she stared at the door.

"He'll be fine," Alice said.

Mary nodded her. "I hate waiting," she said

"I know," Alice replied.

"I worry about him when he's not at home. Everyday when he's not at home, even if he justs runs down to the market…. And the phone rings…" Mary said, her voice fading off with a hitch. "You would think I would get used to it."

"If you got used to it, then you wouldn't care," Alice stated simply as she wrapped an arm around Mary and pulled her into a loose hug.

Taking in a shaky breath, Mary nodded her head, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"So what is the mini monster doing here?" Alice said with a nod of her head to the sleeping boy. "I thought you and Sean didn't want him involved in stuff like this?"

"We don't," Mary stated as she started to stroke Harry's messy mop once again. "Matthew, you remember Sean's old friend from the police academy, well he was sent to Harry's school to get him. However when he got there Harry already knew. Matthew said that Harry was so upset, demanding that he had to go to the hospital and you know how Matthew is."

"Can't face the pressure of crying women or children," Alice said.

Mary smirked, "Yep, he caved. So he brought him here."

Alice smirked at the fact that Harry had convinced a seasoned police officer to do what he wanted. "Do you know how Harry found out? Was it the Headmistress?" she asked, looking quickly over to the door, to make sure no one had entered, before continuing. "Or was is it like last year? You know, with the McKnight's girl."

"Like last year," Mary replied looked down at the sleeping boy, her fingers combing through his hair.

Alice bit her bottom lip and stared down at the sleeping child. "Do you think…" she asked, leaving her unfinished question hanging.

"Maybe. I mean he was able to lead Sean to the girl last year. Right to where she was," Mary said absentmindedly. "I was just so grateful that the captain was able to keep Harry's involvement out of the report."

"I think he was more freaked out by it than you and I were," Alice commented.

Mary nodded her head. "It didn't even seem to affect Sean."

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "Sean was always like that as a kid. Nothing ever seems to effect him; add in his interest in the supernatural and I'm not surprised that Sean blew it off. When we were kids, if he wasn't plotting some pranks he had his head buried in some book dealing with ghost and monsters. For a while, he wanted to become a Egyptologist, until he learned that mummies don't come back from the dead."

Mary snickered. "I can just image him battling mummies with a sword in hand and then more mummies appear. Sean looks at them, shakes his head and then runs away."

Alice giggled. "Can you image him riding a camel? The ships of the desert."

"He would get sea sick," they said together as they erupted into giggles.

"Mama?" a sleepy voice said.

"Hey honey. Feeling better now?" Mary asked as Harry sat up.

Harry nodded his head as he yawned. "Daddy?" he asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Alice and Mary shared a look between themselves. "I don't know, honey. We're still waiting to hear from the doctors."

"Daddy will be alright," Harry mumbled sleepily as he snuggled up against his mother.

"Of course he will," Mary replied as she kissed him on the top of his head. "Of course he will."

Harry closed his eyes as he leaned against his mother. "What's going to happen to the dog?" he asked sleepily.

"Dog?" Alice asked.

Harry opened his eyes and looked over at Alice, noticing her for the first time. "Hi Aunt Alice," Harry mumbled sleepily. "When did you get here?"

"Hi sleepy head," Alice replied. "What dog are you talking about?"

"The dog that saved dad," Harry said as he reached for the paper bag that held the donuts.

Alice looked at Mary, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"When Mark, a fellow officer who was answering Sean's whistle, found Sean he was being guarded by a stray," Mary explained. "A big black dog."

"Uncle Mark said that dad said that a dog saved his life. That the dog attacked the guys that had attacked dad. Uncle Mark said that the one of bad guys had peed this pants," Harry explained in one breath between bites of his donut.

"Mark said that the dog was guarding Sean," Mary said to explain anything Alice might have missed in Harry's garbled explanation.

"What do you think they're going to do with the dog?" Harry asked. "Do you think we could keep him? I bet he would be a great police dog. What do you think we should name him, Aunt Alice? Can he sleep on my bed? Please!" Harry said the last bit as he turned to Mary.

"Ah," Mary stammered as she tried to figure out what Harry had said.

Alice blinked once, twice, and a third time, as she processed everything faster than Mary had. "How about Hero?" she suggested.

Harry made a grimace. "Too overly done. Champ?"

Alice shook her head. "Loki?'

"That's mom's name for dad," Harry said with a smirk. "Sherlock?"

"Sherlock Holmes working with your father? Hardly!" Alice said in mock outrage.

"May I remind the both of you that we do not own the dog. And even if the dog didn't have an owner and could be adopted, your father and I haven't agreed to adopt it," Mary said, her voice taking on the firm don't-mess-with-me tone.

"Yet," Alice said with a wink towards Harry.

Mary glared at Alice, who just smirked in return.

Mary opened her mouth to make a comment when the door to the waiting room opened once again and a doctor, wearing a surgical gown and cap, entered.

"Mrs. O'Connell?" the doctor asked as he looked back and forth between the two young women.

"I'm Mrs. O'Connell," Mary said as she rose to her feet.

"I'm Doctor Williamson, Mrs. O'Connell, I treated your husband," the doctor explained.

"How is he, Doctor?" Mary asked, wringing her hands nervously. "Will he be alright?"

"He's going to be fine." The doctor said.

Mary's knees buckled and only her hand grasping the back of Alice's chair kept her from collapsing to the floor.

Doctor Williamson took Mary gently by the arm and guided her back to her seat. "Your husband has several serious lacerations…."

The doctor continued with his medical jargon for the next five minutes, explaining to them that Sean received many severe wounds, such that the doctors had to use nearly 100 stitches to close them. His injuries also amounted to a cracked rib, sprained wrist and a bump to the head.

He also explain that Sean would need to stay in the hospital for the next few days, but if everything goes alright, that he should be released by Wednesday.

"Can I see him?" Mary begged.

Doctor Williamson nodded his head. "He's sleeping right now, but I'll sneak you in, if you want."

"Yes, yes please," Mary said as she stood up.

Harry rose with his mother, a determined, yet slightly frightened look on his face.

"Harry," Mary said as she realized her son was planning on following her, " You can't come with me. I want you to go home with Alice."

"But mum," Harry whined.

"No buts young man. You have school tomorrow. Your father would be very disappointed in both of us if he found out you skipped school because of this."

"But mum…"

"No."

With that final 'no,' Doctor Williamson escorted Mary out of the room and towards where Sean rested.

Harry turned to Alice. "But tomorrow's Saturday," he stated.

Alice shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'what can I do?', "Come on, let's go see your new dog."

* * *

End of the Chapter

Bad Author Notes: Why did almost everyone believe that Sirius attacked Sean? Do you think that Sirius was so shallow as to take away the only family Harry has ever knows?


	6. Unexpected Christmas

Disclaimer: author pulls bedroom door shut. Silencing the screams of help from an older man with black hair and grey eyes I don't own the Harry Potter series nor do I make any money off of my writing in the series. Author glares are reader. Cross arms over her chest She killed him off so he's mine now! And I'll teach him how to be a good puppy.

Bad Author Notes: I had to take creative license on Harry's birthday gift because at the time Harry receive this gift that toy was lost it's popularity at that time and nothing had really replaced it yet. Please see note at the end.

But now many of you will be wondering when will Harry get his letter. The answer is ch 8 or it might be ch 9; it all depends on my Muse.

* * *

**Unexpected Christmas**

by Lady FoxFire

November 6, 2005

"It's Christmas!" echoed through the house, followed by the sound of running and barking and the pounding of bare feet as they pattered down the stairs.

"He's your son," Mary mumbled sleepily as she pulled her pillow over her head.

"Ugh," Sean replied as he rolled over and blinked sleepily at the alarm clock. "It's only quarter past four," he mumbled.

The house resounded with the thunder of feet storming up the stairs. "Mum! Dad! Father Christmas was here!" Harry exclaimed as he burst into the room, followed by a huge black dog that yipped and yapped as it mirrored the boy's excitement.

"Harry," said Sean, eyeing the boy with raised eyebrows as he raised himself up onto his elbow. "Go. Back. To. Bed," he said emphasizing each word. "It's too early to be up."

"But…"

Mary whipped the pillow from her head. "Go back to bed right now, young man, or we'll visit Aunt Elizabeth today."

Harry's eyes grew wide before he shot out of the room.

"And that goes for you too, Duke," Mary said as she leveled her glare at the thoroughly confused dog.

With his ears flat against his head and his tail tucked between his legs, the dog slinked out of the room.

Mary lay down with a contented sigh, pulling the warm blanket around her once again.

"My wife, defender of the innocents against rampaging boys and dogs," Sean teased

"Shut up!" Mary snarled as she hit Sean with her pillow. "You are hardly what I would call innocent."

"If I'm not innocent what am I then?" Sean said as he rolled to his side so he could look at his wife.

"_You_ are bothersome," Mary replied.

"Bothersome?" Sean said. "Just bothersome?"

"Irritating?"

"Irritating? I'm irritating?" Sean replied as she scooted closer to Mary and started to gently kiss her shoulder and neck. "You find me irritating?"

Mary nodded her head. "Exasperating," Mary said before sucking her breath suddenly as Sean reached a certain point on her neck.

"What else?" Sean asked, his voice becoming deep and sensual as he nibbled on Mary's bare shoulder.

"Mischievous," Mary moaned.

"Mischievous. I like that," Sean commented as made a trail of kisses along her jaw line.

Mary throw an arm around Sean and pull him closer. "Irresistible." Mary drew Sean into a smoldering kiss.

* * *

As quiet as he possible could Harry pulled his parents' bedroom door closed.

"Mushy stuff," Harry commented to Duke as he rolled his eyes. "Come on boy," Harry said as he started down the stairs. "Let's see what Father Christmas got us."

* * *

"Oh wow!" Harry exclaimed, goggling at the present as he sat on a nest of crumpled Christmas wrapping paper. "It's Unicron!"

"Wow, he's a big guy, isn't he," Sean said as he looked over Harry's shoulder at the toy robot. "Now he's a good guy, right? An auto something or other?" Sean said with a wink to Mary.

"An Autobot, dear," Mary said as she tried not to giggle, knowing too well that Sean knew all about his son's current obsession. "Decepticons are the bad guys."

"That's right," Sean said with a snap of his figure as if everything just clicked together. "And he's an Autobot," he stated as he point his finger at the toy. "Right?"

Harry looked up at Sean like his father was crazy.

Sean raised an eyebrow, taking in Harry's aghast expression. "Okay… he's a Decepticons."

Duke, who was happily chewing on the bone he received for Christmas, raised his head as he looked over at his family. With a shake of his head he turned his attention back to his bone, his tail slowing wagging in contentment.

See Harry's look of disbelief Sean shrunk down in his chair. "He's a bad guy?"

With a sigh Harry shook his head. "Unicron is a planet eating robot who wants to eat the universe. When the universe was being formed, the gods battled for control. Unicron the Chaos-Bringer was fighting the light god Primus for control, and somehow they broke into the physical world and crashed. Primus made the Transformers to defend the universe but the Quintesson twisted them make the Autobots and Decepticons; while Unicron built himself until he looked like this and was able to eat planets." Harry explained.

"Oh of course," Sean replied as he slapped his forehead with his open palm, "how could I have made such a _simple_ mistake?"

"Harry," Mary said with a chuckle at her husband antics, "it looks like there's one more present." Mary pointed to a small box hidden in the back of the tree. "Would you get it and see who it's for, please?"

With a nod of his head, Harry scrambled among the crumpled wrapping paper, stepping over Duke.

"It's for dad," Harry announced triumphantly as he read the card attached to the gift.

Sean looked over at his wife; an eyebrow raised questionably as Harry made his way to his father.

Mary smiled at Sean in a knowingly way, her eyes sparkling.

Sean's attention snapped back as Harry handed him the gift.

"Open it, Dad!" Harry command as he climbed on the arm of Sean's chair so could watch.

Sean looked over at Mary once again.

"Open it, Sean," she said sweetly, her eyes glinting evilly.

Taking a deep breath Sean carefully unwrapped the gift, dreading what traditional prank Alice and Mary dreamed up to give him this year.

"What is it, Dad?" Harry asked when Sean finally removed the lid of the box.

Tucked safely among baby blue tissue paper were two tiny white knitted… thingies.

Carefully drawing the gift out of the box, Sean stared at them. He then turned and stared at Mary in amazement. Then back at the thingies.

"What are they, Dad?" Harry asked once again. "They look like socks for a doll."

Sean's mouth opened. Then closed. Open. Closed. "How…?" he sputtered.

"If you don't know 'how,' then we need to have a serious discussion later," Mary said teasingly.

"When…" Sean sputtered as he looked at the doll sock thingie then at Mary and back to the thingies.

"About eight weeks," Mary replied her eyes twinkling madly.

In less time than it takes to blink Sean was at Mary's side, his hand resting on her stomach.

"What's eight weeks?" Harry asked as he watched his parents in confusion.

"I'm eight weeks pregnant," Mary says with a content smile on her face. "We're going to have a baby."

"Oh," Harry mumbled, slipping off the arm of the chair and into the seat Sean had vacated.

"A baby," Sean whispered in amazement as he stared at where his hand rested on Mary's stomach.

Mary rested her hand on top of Sean's. "Our baby," she said with a contented smile.

Sean leaned over and gently kissed Mary. "I love you," Sean said.

"And I you," Mary replied as she gently stroked Sean's face.

"We're going to have a baby," Sean said with awe as he stared in Mary's eyes with a silly grin on his face.

Mary made an agreeing noise as she nodded her head.

The sound of a sniffle drew the couple's attention to Harry, who has wrapped his arms around his legs as was watching his parents through his bangs.

"Harry?" Mary said.

"Am I… Am I going back to the orphanage, then?"

"What? Of course not Harry!" Mary said as she hurried over to the child and wrapped her arms around him. "Why would you think that you would go back to the orphanage?"

"Steven at the orphanage… he said that sometimes when the adoptive parents get pregnant… that they don't want the kid anymore because now they have one of their own and that… that they wouldn't want a child that the real parents didn't want," Harry explain as he chewed on his bottom lip, his head bowed.

Duke thrust his cold wet nose into Harry's hand as he tried to comfort they boy.

"Oh, Harry," Mary said softly and reached out, gently cupped his chin and raised his head up so that he was looking at her. "You are our child, now and we will never let you go. And this baby," Mary guided Harry's hand to her stomach. "This baby is your baby brother or sister."

"And besides," Sean said as he plopped on the arm of the chair and threw an arm around Harry, "we're going to need your help with the baby."

Mary and Harry looked up at Sean in confusion.

"Someone has to teach them how to hide Brussels sprouts, where your mum hides the chocolate, how to make a potato chip sandwich…"

"Oh you," Mary exclaimed as she swung a pillow at Sean's head.

* * *

Post Author Notes:

I found the information about Unicron at the following site:

http/ you agree with what I posted in this fic about Unicron, remember this is Classic Transformer, not Transformers you see on TV today.


	7. When Pirates Attack

Disclaimer: If I owned the Harry Potter series: A) I would be rich. B) Sirius would never have died in Book 5… although Dumbledore might have. evil smirk

Bad Author Notes: Ok this past year has been one hell of a ride and it did it's best to drain my love of writing from me but I'm finally start to bounce back and I hope to have the next chapter out sooner than I got this chapter out.

This is the last fluffy chapter for this fic; the next chapter is when things will really start to rock because Harry's going to get his letter.

When Pirates Attack

By Lady FoxFire

January 7, 2006

"So what's the mush of the day?" Sean asked as he dropped wearily into the kitchen chair, undoing the first few buttons of his uniform while Duke collapsed at Harry's feet.

Harry looked into the bowl he was holding. "I think its cereal, mashed plum, and milk," he said as he scraped a small spoon around the bowl.

"Sounds yummy," Sean replied as he tried to work the kinks out of his neck.

"Tina seems to like it," Harry replied as he shoved the small baby spoon in to the open mouth of the dark haired infant gurgling in the highchair.

Tina opened and closed her mouth quickly as she swallowed her breakfast before opening her mouth again and demanding more food.

Sean sat and watched Harry feed his baby sister in silence for a few moments, a contented smile of his face.

"So how was work?" Harry asked breaking the silence that had settled as he petted the sleeping dog with his bare feet.

Sean groaned. "Four hours of paper work for an arrest that took less than half hour."

Harry looked over at his father, an eyebrow raised questionably.

"A bad guy ran and Duke caught him," Sean replied as he stood up and walked over to the icebox to scrounge for edibles. "Where is your mother?" he asked, his head still in the fridge.

"In the shower," Harry replied with a chuckle.

"Mmph?" Sean's head pop out of the fridge, a chicken leg in his mouth.

"Tina had knocked her toy onto the floor, so Mum placed the bowl on the highchair and bent over…

"And splat?"

"Right on her head."

The two O'Connell men grinned like demons at each other.

"That's my girl," Sean said with pride as he kissed the baby on the head, never noticing the plum coloured smear that dribbled from her dirty hands onto his uniform, "a prankster just like your old man."

* * *

"Argh!" cried the pirate as he leapt into the living room, brandishing a sword in his hand.

The little pirate was dressed in a loose fitting long sleeve white shirt, striped pants, boots that came almost to his knees and to top it off, and a hat with the Jolly Roger emblazoned upon it.

"A pirate," Mary gasped. "What are we to do? Who will save us?"

"Give me you bootie and I'll leave you in peace," the pirate snarled as he pointed to a bowl sitting on the table next to Tina.

"Not the sweets!" Mary said as she scooped the bowl and tried to hide it behind her. "You can have anything but our candy,"

"Anything?" a deeper voice said a moment before a large pirate stepped into the room. Although dressed similarly to his smaller counterpart, this pirate also donned a leather vest and an eye patch over his left eye. His five o'clock shadow gave him even more of a rakish look.

Tina looked at the new pirate, then at her mother, before turning once more to the pirate. She let out a squeal of excitement.

"_Anything_, Mr. Pirate," Mary said breathlessly as she fluttered her eyes at him. "Just take what you please, Mr. Pirate, but leave us and our candy in peace."

"Mum," Harry said in exasperation at his parents' antics as he lowered his sword.

"Yes, Harry dear?" Mary said without broke her longing stare at the pirate captain.

Harry rolled his eyes at his parents. "Can I have some candy?"

"What do you say?" Mary asks, her eyes crinkled with amusement

Harry sighed. "May I please have some candy?"

"Hmmm," Mary hummed thoughtfully. "That's not what I was asking for."

Harry looked up at his mother for a moment in confusion before cracking into a toothy grin. "Trick or treat!" he exclaimed, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

"One piece," Mary said holding out the bowl full of candy to Harry.

"Thanks, Mum," Harry said as he picked his favorite from the bowl.

"Trick or treat!" Sean said with a big cheesy grin.

"Trick or treat," Mary said in a thoughtful manner as she tapped her chin with her finger. "Trick or treat."

Sean looked down at Harry, pulled up his eye patched and winked at Harry, he then stepped forward, grabbed Mary by the waist and swung her around so that only his strength stopped her from falling onto the floor. With a devilish smirk he kissed her soundly.

While Sean was busy sweeping Mary off her feet, Harry rescued the bowl of candy from a perilous plunge to the floor. With a quick glance at his kissing parents, Harry sneaked two more pieces from the bowl.

Swinging Mary back so that she was standing upright, Sean said, "Trick, my proud beauty."

Tina raised her arms up to Sean, her hands opening and closing as she made smooching noises.

"Ah you want some kiss too, my little beauty?" Sean said as he scooped up the baby and showered her with kisses as she squealed in delight.

Mary blinked once, twice, three times before taking an unsteadily breath.

"Now Harry," Mary said as Harry shoved the gumdrop into his mouth, "I do not want a repeat of what happened last year. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded his head, swallowing the candy before his mum noticed. "Yes, Mum."

"So I expect you to keep you father out of trouble this year," Mary said while giving Sean a death glare, "which means no toilet paper on any of the houses _or_ trees. He's to have nothing to do with eggs, corn, or anything explosive. And you must _absolutely_ keep your father away from Mrs. McKinney's dog. I do not want a repeat of what happened last year."

"I didn't do anything to Mrs. McKinney's dog!" Sean said in his defense.

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her husband.

"I didn't," Sean said. "I was nowhere near Mrs. McKinney's dog."

Mary raised an eyebrow.

Sean wilted under Mary's glare. "_I_ didn't do anything." Sean whined. "Thomas and Jeff were the ones who did it. I was just the look out."

Mary just shook her head at her husband.

"We didn't know," Sean said as he shuffled his feet. "The cans said that the stuff comes out with two washes. We didn't know that the dog would _stay_ green."

Mary pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just keep him out of trouble."

"I'll try mum," Harry said as he popped another lemon drop into his mouth.


	8. Fire, Parchment and Murder

Disclaimer: Sean, Mary, Alice and Tina are mine! No stealing without asking or at least giving credit were credit is due. And speaking of credit the Harry Potter isn't my creation. I'm just playing with it for a bit.

Bad Author Notes: Yes I know it's been forever since I've update this fic but I ran in to a problem with poison ivy… they don't have it in Scotland and I wanted a character to get it on their rear. Sigh. Oh well I did the best I could without it. As for the next chapter… umm I'm not exactly sure how to hand it; I'm split between two bunnies so it might be a while before one bunnie defeat and kill the other bunnie.

* * *

Fire, Parchment and Murder

By Lady FoxFire

July 2, 2006

"Mum! We're home!" Harry shouted as he leapt into the house, his shoes leaving crumbs of dried mud in his wake.

"How was the trip, Harry?" Mary asked as she walked into the hallway, wiping her wet hands on a kitchen towel.

"It was great! I got to use a fire extinguater when Mr. Green set his tent on fire," Harry said as he practically bounced around every corner of the room.

"His tent caught on fire?" Mary exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes wide in shock.

Harry nodded his head like a bobble-head doll. "Yeah! The fire left a huge hole in the roof," Harry said excitedly as he tugged off his shoes while doing the hop-on-one-foot dance people do while trying to remove a shoe without sitting down or untying it.

"Was anyone hurt?" Mary asked in concern.

"No… well Mr. Green's eyebrows are gone but that was the worst of it," Harry said as he finally tugged one shoe off, letting it clatter to the floor.

Mary blinked a couple of times. "His eyebrows are gone?" she said in an unsure voice.

"Yeah, from when Mr. Hammond set Mr. Green's hair on fire," Harry explained as he plopped down on the floor so he could work on the other shoe.

"Mr. Hammond set Mr. Green's hair on fire?" Mary repeated.

"Yeah." Harry said as he yanked the shoe off his foot and then pulled his socks off. "And then Mr. Green knocked his hair off his head and it landed on the tent."

Mary blinked. Then again. And once more. "Okay," Mary said in a singsong voice one often finds oneself using when they're totally confused and don't want to get any more confused. "So what else happened?"

Harry climbed to his feet and brushed off his backside. "Well… I caught the biggest fish. It was this big," Harry said, as he spread his arms as wide as he could.

Mary raised an eyebrow at the size of the fish Harry said he caught. "That must have been a monster of a fish," Mary said with a knowing smirk.

A blush rose to Harry's face. "Well it might not have been that big but it was the biggest one anyone caught," Harry said.

"Harrie!" a squeal came from knee high as a blur raced from the living room and slammed into Harry, followed by a black mass, which barked and jumped around the children.

"Tina," Harry said as bent over and hugged his baby sister.

Tina pushed Harry away. "Harrie yucky," she said her nose crinkled with disgust.

"Daddy and me went camping," Harry explained as Tina retreated to hide behind their mother's legs. "We couldn't take a bath."

Tina refused to come from behind her mother's legs; she just shook her head no.

With a shrug of his shoulder, Harry turned his attention to the dog. "Hey, Duke," Harry greeted Duke, but the dog sneezed at Harry and backed away. "Traitor," Harry mumbled softly while he shot it a dirty look.

"Daddy got boo boo," Tina said suddenly as she looked up at her father who was leaning heavily against the door frame, his head wrapped in so many bandages that he looked like he was wearing a turban.

"Oh yeah," Harry exclaimed. "We got to practice first aid on dad, too."

"Oh, Sean," Mary half sobbed half laughed as she rushed over to her husband.

"It's nothing," Sean stated as Mary caressed his face, carefully avoiding the bandages. "Just a small cut."

"It bled a lot," Harry volunteered. "Mr. Hammond fainted from all the blood and Steven's dad thought Dad was going to die from blood loss."

Sean rolled his eyes as he allowed Mary to guide him over to the foot of the stairs so he could sit down.

"Daddy hurt?" Tina asked with concern from where she stood next to her daddy's knee.

A soft woof from Duke, as the dog trotted over to Sean and nudged his hand with his nose, echoed Tina's concern.

"I'm fine, honey" Sean said wearily. "Daddy just has a boo boo."

"Mama kiss. Make better," Tina ordered as she turned to face her mother.

"Yeah, Mama. Make better," Sean mimicked.

Mary raised an eyebrow at her husband, who only smirked in return.

With a smirk of her own, Mary bent over and kissed Sean gently on the tip of his nose.

Sean's eyes crossed as he tried to look at the tip of his nose.

"All better," Tina said in a singsong voice as she patted her father's knee.

"That's right, honey, Daddy's all better now," Mary said with a half a smile. "Now Harry, I want you to take the camping equipment into the back and I want you to pitch the tent so it can dry out."

"Awww, Mum," Harry whined.

"Don't you 'awww, Mum' me, young man. I know perfectly well that you can set up that tent by yourself," Mary said in a firm voice and wearing a matching 'don't mess with me' expression.

"I help," Tina chimed in.

"And Tina can help too," Mary said with a nod to her daughter

"But, Mum," Harry protest.

"No buts," Mary stated in a firm voice. "Now go."

"Yes mum," Harry said dejectedly, his shoulders slumped. "Come on, Tina."

"Coming," Tina sung out as she ran after her big brother

A soft bark drew Mary's attention to Duke, who watched innocently as the children walked out the door, his tail wagging the whole time.

"And you," she said to Duke. "You can go out with them and supervise."

Duke's ears drooped, his tail curled underneath him and he looked up at Mary with big sorrowful eyes.

"That doesn't work for Harry and it's not going to work for you. Now go," Mary commanded.

With a woof of surrender, Duke trotted after the two children.

"Sometimes I swear that dog was human," Mary mumbled to herself as she watched Duke nudge the door to close it as he slipped out before it shut.

Turning her attention back to Sean, Mary found him still staring at the tip of his nose, which twitched every so often.

"Come on," Mary said as she pulled Sean to his feet. "I'd better take a look at that."

"Do I get another kiss to make it better?" Sean whined.

"Yes but only after the children are fast asleep," Mary said teasingly as she lead him up the stairs.

Sean raised an eyebrow a mischievous look in his eyes. "Any chance we can send them to bed early?" he asked as Mary guided him into the bathroom

Pushing down on Sean's shoulder until he sat on the toilet lid, Mary said, "No."

"Phoo," Sean pouted, his bottom lip stuck out.

Mary smiled fondly at her husband's antics as she started to undo the mass of bandages. "So, how did this happen?"

Sean held up two fingers. "Two words. Thomas Hammond." Sean said.

Mary raised an eyebrow at Sean's statement.

"The man is a walking disaster," Sean said with absolute conviction. "He should be locked up for the safety of the community."

"He can't be that bad," Mary said in the defense of the poor man as she started to examine the small cut on Sean's head.

"Harry told you how he set George's hair on fire, didn't he?" Sean asked as he winced at Mary's gentle probing.

"Sort of," Mary replied. "He said that Thomas set George's toupee on fire and then some how it was knocked off and onto the tent, which then caught fire, but he didn't say how it all started."

Sean nodded his head. "No one's really sure how it all began, but I just know if it wasn't for Harry's quick thinking, George would have lost everything in the tent. As it is, the tent itself is a loss."

"He is always smart on his feet," Mary said as she started to clean the wound.

"That he is," Sean said with a chuckle. "Well after the fire incident, Tom somehow managed to flip the canoe he was in with the other father and two boys all because he lost his paddle."

Mary snickered. "At least the boys got to experience a water rescue."

"You'd better believe they did, especially after Tom flipped the group that was trying to rescue him."

Mary pressed his lips together tightly to keep from laughing.

"And this," Sean pointed to his head wound as Mary applied the dressing. "Tom did this to me this morning when we were taking down the tents."

"How?" Mary asked.

"Tent pole," Sean said simply. "Damned if I know why he was swing it around."

"My poor baby," Mary cooed as she kiss Sean's forehead.

"And that not the end of it!"

"It's not?" she said in disbelief.

"He locked his keys in the car and guess who everyone expect to get them." Sean snarled his arms crossed over his chest.

"You," Mary said.

"Yep, me," Sean growled. "And while I'm working on the lock guess what happens next."

"I'm afraid to ask,"

"His boy opens the passenger side door and climbs in."

Mary started to snicker softly. "My poor baby," Mary said as she wrapped her arms around Sean, resting his head against her chest as she tried to not to break down into laughter.

Sean wrapped his arms around her waist. "This weekend sucked."

* * *

"So then Tina decided to play Lady Godiva with Duke," Mary said as she strapped Tina into her highchair. 

"Lady Godiva," Harry said as he set the dinner table, "She was that lady who rode naked through town, right?"

"That right," Sean said as he carried the hot pan over to the table. "She was trying to get her husband to rescind the high taxes he had placed on his people. He said he would only would do that if she rode through the town naked."

Harry got a curious look on his face as he tried to process the story. "They sure did weird things back then," he said as he sat down at the table.

"Speaking of weird, a letter arrived for you today, Harry," Mary said as the family settled down for dinner.

"Really?" Harry said in surprise as he served himself a helping of shepherd's pie, "Who's it from? And how is that weird?"

"Well I don't know who it's from, but for the reason its weird... well when you get it you'll see what I mean," Mary said with a nod to the kitchen counter where the mail was sitting.

Shoving a fork full of food in to his mouth, Harry quickly got up and retrieved the letter.

"What weird paper," he commented as he turned the letter over in his hands, examining it.

"It's called parchment," Mary said. "It was used before the making of paper became more standard. It used made from sheepskin or goatskin."

"Ewww," Harry exclaimed dropping the letter on the table, rubbing his hands against his shorts.

Sean let out a snort of amusement as Mary shook her head.

"I doubt that is 'real' parchment," Mary said as she placed Tina's dinner on the child's highchair. "Real parchment is expensive and hard to find. What you have is probably just normal paper. Heavy duty but completely normal paper."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his mother. "With green ink and a wax seal? What kind of person uses those?"

"Someone who is eccentric," Sean replied. "Why don't you just open it and find out."

Harry glanced at his parents one by one, and then, taking a deep breath, he broke the seal on the letter and unfolded it open.

"Well?" Sean said impatiently after several moments had passed in silence.

"I am invited someplace called Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry," Harry said as he rolled his eyes. "It's probably Mark's idea of a joke. He must have gotten his older brother to write it up."

"Is that all it says?" Mary asks.

"No it also says that a professor will be here on the 20th to explain everything," Harry said looking down at the letter once again.

"Can I see it?" Sean said reaching out for the letter.

Harry nodded and passed the letter over to his father.

Sean read over the letter, his body tensing slightly.

"Sean?" Mary asked calmingly as she noticed her husband's reaction.

Sean hands Mary the letter. "Harry, you said you recognized the handwriting?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but I figured Mark got his brother to write it. You know how he is. He loves to pull pranks."

"You're probably right, but do you mind if I hold on to this?"

Harry looks up from his plate, his brow furrowed with concern. "Sure. But why?"

SPLAT!

"Tina!" Harry exclaimed as he stared down at his shirt, at the mashed potatoes sliding down the middle of his chest.

Tina clapped her little hands together while giggling.

"That was bad, Tina. Bad," Mary said firmly.

Tina looked at her mum thoughtfully for a moment before reaching for another handful of mash potatoes.

"Oh no you don't," Mary said as with one hand, she grabbed Tina's plate and with the other hand, she snagged the hand that held a fist full of food. "Harry, get me a wet washcloth."

"Ok, Mum," Harry said as he left the table wiping at the mess on his shirt.

"Stop smirking, Sean," Mary commanded, not even looking at her husband.

Sean's smirk grew into a full blow grin. "Yes, dear."

* * *

Mary quietly pulled Harry's door shut, a contented smile on her face. 

"They're asleep?" Sean asked as he leaned against the wall of the landing.

Mary nodded her head as she stepped up to Sean and into his arms.

Sean sighed happily, as he tightened his arms around her. "I love you," he sighed happily into her hair.

"I know," Mary replied.

"I need to go to the station," he said as he loosened his grip on Mary.

"The letter?" she asked looking up at Sean.

Sean nodded his head as he reached out and tucked a lock of Mary's hair behind her ear.

"When will you be back," Mary asked as she stepped out of Sean's grasp.

"I don't know. It's probably nothing but…"

"But better safe than sorry," Mary said with a sad smile.

"I won't be gone long," Sean said as he stepped closer to Mary and kissed her softly before turning and heading for the stairs. "Duke. Stay. Guard."

* * *

Sean quietly pushed the door shut, reached down, and threw the deadbolt on the door. 

Turning around, Sean exhaled sharply as he found Duke sitting in front of him. "Real funny, big guy," Sean whispered sarcastically. "Everything alright?"

Duke let out a soft woof before rising to his feet and heading up the stairs towards the children's room.

Sean's eyes followed his partner up the stairs until he disappeared from sight. With a shake of his head, he walked down to the living room where the sounds of a late night B rated horror movie could be heard playing.

Sean found Mary fast asleep on the couch, the horror movie playing unnoticed on the screen.

Crouching down next to the sofa, Sean remained there for a moment, taking in the sight of his sleeping wife. With a gentle hand, he brushed a lock of hair from her face. Leaning forward Sean gently kissed his sleeping beauty.

"Hey," Mary said groggily but happily as Sean pulled back after ending the kiss. "What time is it?"

"Quarter 'til two," Sean replied as he picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned the TV off.

"What is it?" Mary asked sensing something was bothering Sean.

"The letter murders," Sean said simply.

"The what?"

"From the mid 60's to the late 70's and early 80's, there was a series of unsolved murders," Sean said as he sat down next to her," in which the whole family was killed."

"I don't remember anything about them," Mary said as she leaned against Sean.

"You wouldn't," Sean said as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "Often the crimes were put down as murder-suicides committed by a family member or as B&E that went wrong. No one ever figured the cases were related."

"But they think so now?"

Sean nodded his head. "One woman lost two of her sons and their families to murder-suicides; while going through her grandchildren's things she found some letters."

"Like Harry's?"

"Almost exactly like Harry's," Sean replied. "It was in mid 80's when they started to put unsolved cases in the new computer system. They found a link—the letters—between some unsolved cases. After that, they started to look through those closed cases more closely."

"But why haven't I heard anything about this? It should have made the news."

Sean shrugged his shoulders. "I can't answer that one, love."

Mary sat in silence as she digested everything she just learned. "What are we going to do?"

"Trap the bastard."


	9. The Royal Cover Up

Disclaimer: All non-Harry Potter characters belong to me. Any other characters belong to some woman in the UK whose books sucks after she killed off my puppy, so we won't mention her name.

Bad author notes: Sorry this took so long but Real Life and the fact I couldn't figure out how to write it delayed it. Thank you Corwalch for helping me figure it out. The next chapter will be out… someday. My Muse is busily plotting something else right now.

The Royal Cover Up

by Lady FoxFire

July 15, 2007

* * *

"We know you're involved," Officer Carlyn snarled as he jabbed at the photos of murder victims that were lying on the table in front of the suspect. "So drop that rubbish about being a teacher at hodwhatnot or whatever the fuck name it was; we know it's a front! You use it to trick people into opening their doors, so you can get access to their innocent children!" 

"Back off, John," Officer Brewster's calming voice made Carlyn turn away to face the mirror. Brewster shot the suspect an apologetic smile. "Look, we searched for your school, Hag… Hogs…" flips through the papers trying to find the name.

"Hogwarts," the suspect said in an almost bored tone as he rested his chin on his hand.

"Hogwarts. Right, thanks," Brewster smiled as Carlyn turned and glared at his partner from near the mirror. "We've checked for any school by that name, but we haven't had any luck locating it. If you can help and give us a bit more information, we can straighten out this mess and get you out of here."

The Hogwarts professor sighed. "Perhaps you're spelling it wrong?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders

"That's possible," Brewster replied as he click the end of his pen. "How did you spell it again?"

"H O G W A R T S," the suspect spelled the name out as he watch the officer write it down

"And where is it located?" Brewster asked, never looking up from his paper.

"Scotland," the teacher replied, cocking his head to side as he watched the words form on the paper.

"Could you tell me where exactly it is located," the Officer asked. "Scotland is a rather big place."

"It's near a small town called Hogsmeade," The teacher replied.

Brewster wrote the information down. "I've never heard of that town. Where's that?"

"Walking distance from Hogwarts."

"Sod this!" Carlyn snarled. "Look, you piece of shit, we **know** you're involved with this!" he pointed at the photo once again. "We know about the **damn** letters the victim gets. We know that a 'professor' visits them. And we fucking know that the whole family ends up dead just days later!"

Carlyn lean across the desk until he's in the teacher's face. "I want to know how you're involved," he growled menacing. "I want names. I want to know everyone who's involved."

The teacher pulls back from Carlyn, his eyes widening. He licked his lips nervously. "You can't stop them. They're just too powerful."

"Yes we can," Brewster leaned forward to offer support as his partner moved back. "But we can only do it if you help us. Help us before they kill another family."

The suspect ran his hand nervously over his mouth. "You won't be able to protect me," he said softly. "They have people inside the government. They'll cover it up, just like they did last time. They took care of everyone involved and made it so no one could tell anyone else what they learned."

The detectives exchanged alarmed glances at each other.

"Look, Mr. Lupin--Remus--I can't promise you that we can protect you, but can you honestly live with yourself if you allow this to happen again?" Brewster asked, fanning the photos out on the table.

Looking at the photos on table, Remus carefully picked one of them up. It was a photo of a very young child, little more than a baby. He ran a gentle finger over the photo of the smiling dark haired child. "I lost my best friends to those bastards. All that was left was their son, and he was taken away from me too. They said that I couldn't protect him. They promised me they would keep him safe."

"And you work for these people?" Carlyn's eyes widening with disgust.

Looking up from the picture, his pain-filled eyes begged Carlyn to try and understand situation. "I don't have a choice… not if I ever want to see Harry again," Remus took one more looked at the photo before he set it down.

"We need names," Brewster tried to coax the names out of the broken man. "We'll put them away for life. I **promise** you that."

Remus closed his eyes, and taking a shaky breath he said softly. "Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth what?" Brewster asked as he leaned forward. "If we're to help you, … help you find Harry we need a last name."

"Windsor. Elizabeth Windsor, the second," Remus's now opened eyes glinting with amusement.

"What!" the detectives cried in outrage at the mention of the Queen's name.

"And Prince Charles," Remus continued on ignoring their reactions. "He knows, and so does the Prime Minister."

"You fucking son of a bitch," Carlyn roared as he pulled his fist back and slammed it into Remus jaw, knocking him to the floor with the force of it.

Brewster immediately grabbed Carlyn and pulled him away from Remus. " Get out John, _now_," Brewster said icily as he pushed his partner towards the door.

* * *

"Damn bastard. He was playing them the whole time," Sean spat as he watched the man they had arrested at his home through the one way mirror. "He knows something, Captain. He knows exactly who's behind in these killings." 

"I'm not disagreeing with you on that, O'Connell," A big burly man said as he sipped his coffee. "But there is no much we can do until the Yard gets here."

"Yeah. I know," O'Connell said around clenched teeth, letting out a frustrated snarl, "but they're after my boys. They're after my Mary."

The captain placed a hand on Sean's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "We're not going to let them lay one finger on your family, Sean. I promise you that," he said.

"Excuse me, Captain Finn?" a voice spoke up from behind them

The two police officers turned as one to find two men in plain clothes standing just inside the doorway. The bearing of the intruders told any who knew what to look for that they were from the government I don't think that MI5 and MI6 are strictly the jurisdiction of the military .

"Yes?" Captain Finn replied as he took step forward.

"I'm Mr. Jones and this is Mr. Smith. MI-5," the tallest of the men said as an introduction. "We're here about Mr. Lupin."

"And what does MI-5 want with him?" Captain Finn asked.

"I believe that is something that we should discuss in your office, Captain," Mr. Smith said with a nod towards the door as Jones stepped farther into the room.

Finn's eyes narrowed. "Gentlemen," he growled stepping toward the door.

Jones stepped into the room. "I'll stay here with Mr…" he nodded towards Sean.

"O'Connell. DS Sean O'Connell," Sean said as he studied the men.

"Right. I'll stay here with DS O'Connell and Mr. Lupin," Jones raised his paper coffee cup in a toast. "Wouldn't want him to just vanish into thin air now, would we?"

Smith sighed and rolled his eyes before following Captain Finn to his office.

Crossing the room, the MI-5 agent stood in front of the one way mirror.

Sipping his coffee, Jones watched Lupin through the glass as their suspect picked his nails.

"Has he said anything?" Jones said, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen in the room.

Sean shrugged his shoulders. "He claims to know those involved in the murders, but claims that they work in the government." He let out an amused snort. "He _actually_ claimed that the Royal Family and the Prime Minister were involved."

Jones nodded his head. "Anything else?"

O'Connell turned and looked at agent. "He claims that the only reason he's involved is because he hopes to see a child named Harry again," Sean stated his disbelief evident in this voice. "Claims the boy was his best friend's son."

Jones nodded his head at the information before allowing silence to settle between them again as they watched the prisoner.

Without looking at O'Connell, Jones said, "He's telling the truth."

"What?" Sean turned and looked at MI-5 agent.

"He's telling the truth about the Royal Family and the Prime Minister." Jones sipped his coffee. "They've been part of the cover up for years."

"What? How…That's not possible!" Sean sputtered. "I mean, something like that can't remain a secret! Why would they have to involve…? Why help keep it secret?"

"Your son, Harry is a special boy isn't he?" the MI-5 agent stated, ignoring Sean's comments

Sean stared at Jones confused by the sudden change in topic and the mention of his son.

"I'm willing to say that unusual things happen when he's around. People's hair have sometimes change color spontaneously, objects disappear and reappear in other locations, and he sometimes knows something that no one else would know unless they were involved."

Sean's eyes narrowed. "What does my son have to do with this case?" he growled

"Everything, DS O'Connell." Jones said as he finally turned and looked at Sean. "He has everything to do with it.

Sean stared at Jones waiting for an explanation.

"You see Mr. Lupin really is a teacher and Hogwarts really is a school," Jones explained. "It's a school for those with special talents, like your son. It's a place where children like him learn to hone their talents."

"For the government," Sean said, his hand slowly curling into a fist.

"No. Not for the government, for themselves," Jones told him. "Hogwarts has existed for a thousand years, and while it sometimes works in conjection with the British government, the government has never controlled the school."

"And the Letter Murders?" Sean demanded. "How do they tie into all of this?"

Turning so he could lean against the wall next to him, Jones cast a weary looked at Sean. With a heavy sigh he, started to explain. "About 30 years ago, a terrorist, who shares the same special talent as your son, decided to start killing off anyone he decided was not…_pure_ enough or who didn't fall down and worship him. One of his followers was somehow able to gain access to the list of new students. I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

Sean nodded his head. "The only problem with that is that these murders go back decades. One or two years I could believe but someone had to notice something."

"Yeah," Jones drained his cup. "Blame the politicians."

"O'Connell," Captain Finn said as he walked into the room with Mr. Smith with a glazed look in his eyes. "Make sure you get Mr. Lupin's address and phone number in case the solicitors want to contact him."

"Sir?" Sean stared in surprise.

"I know it's an air tight case, but you never know when it comes to those damn solicitors," Finn stated. "With the description Mr. Lupin was able to provide us, we'll have those thieves in prison in no time."

Sam blinked at his captain a number of times very fast. "Umm Captain?"

"Just make sure Mr. Lupin knows that fighting crime is the police's job, and next time he's to call us and not to get involved."

"Yes sir," Sam stared in confusion to the Captain's retreating back. Slowly, he turned to the two other men in the room, bemusement evident in his eyes.

"It's his fault," Jones jerked his thumb in Smith's direction, and Smith just rolled his eyes.

"But..." Sean sputtered.

"How much have you explained to him?" Smith asked.

Jones shrugged his shoulders. "Hogwarts is real. The government and the Crown are involved in a cover. And I was just starting on Moldiewart and his Deathies."

"So in other words, no where," Smith sighed.

Jones just shrugged his shoulders. "Figured I would let Remus do his job."

Smith just shook his head and headed for the interrogation room.

"Smith's pretty good at modifying peoples' minds," Jones explained. "He has everyone at the station believing that Lupin chased away a couple of guys who were mugging a little old lady."

"And you?" Sean said with a hostile tone to his voice.

"Me? I'm just like you. No special talent at all. My job is to keep Smith out of trouble," Jones explained as Smith and Lupin walked into the room.

"And we won't go in to how wonderfully you do your job now will we?" Smith growled.

Jones shrugged his shoulders. "I warned you not to try to pick up that woman at the bar," Jones said with a grin. "It's not my fault that she turned out to be a he."

"How was I to know she was a he!" Smith replied as his face turned red. "She… he looked like a woman. Bloody hell, he had breasts!"

"Adam's apple," Sean and Remus said at the same time.

"Huh?" Smith replied. "What does an apple have to do with anything?"

"I'll explain it later," Jones said with a smirk.

"Mr. O'Connell," Remus said holding his hand out to Sean, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Umm… yeah," Sean said as he shook Remus's hand. "Ah about all…."

"Not the first time I've been arrested," Remus replied with a smirk. "Of course, I wasn't a teacher at the time either. Look, it's late. You probably have your son hidden somewhere safe, so why don't we save this talk for another time?"

"All right," Sean ran his hand through his hair.

"Shall we say tomorrow at ten?" Remus suggested.

"Yeah. I suppose," Sean had the wide-eyed look of a man who was out of his depth.

"Excellent. I shall see you and your family tomorrow." And with that Remus vanished with a soft crack.

"Where did he go?" Sean said as he stared at the spot that Remus had just been.

"He apparated," Smith replied.

"Teleported," Jones translated.

"But that's… that's impossible," Sean babbled.

"Yeah, that what I said when they came to tell my sister she was 'special'," Jones said. "How about we go get a pint and I'll tell you some more about what to expect?"

"I still want to know why you need an apple owned by some fellow named Adam to be able to tell a bloke dressed as a woman from a real bird," Smith grumbled.

* * *

MI5 - Security Service - deals with domestic intelligence. This would be the American version of the FBI 

MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service - deals with foreign intelligence. This would be the American version of the CIA.

DS- Stands for Detective Sergeant, ranked higher than the uniformed police and lower than police inspectors.


End file.
